Are you already bingeing on chocolates and conversation hearts? Or perhaps you’re just over the cold weather and looking for a good way to warm up? We have all your mid-February solutions right here! (Just take a peek at those pictures, you know we wouldn’t lie to you.) Sara Rider, author of the Perfect Play series, stopped by XOXOAD to share her top three favorite reasons why hockey players make the best dates. For Valentine’s Day and every day after. Anyone know where we can buy a Rangers jersey? Asking for a friend…

Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that most people either love or hate. Sure, it can be a great day to shower your significant other with love and affection, but it can also be expensive, overrated and downright cheesy. But whatever your personal feelings on the holiday, spending the day with a hot, famous hockey player like Nick Salinger, the hero of Going for the Goal, is guaranteed to make your Valentine’s Day smoking hot. Here are my top three reasons why:

They look good in a suit: With their broad shoulders, thick biceps and drool-worthy thighs, hockey players fill out a classic suit as well as they do their uniforms. So if a three-course meal at a fancy restaurant is your idea of romance, you know your date is going to take you out in style. Of course, if you’d rather spend a quiet night in on the couch with a box of pizza, those toned butts look just as great in jeans, too.

They know how to get physical: If you choose a hockey player as your date, you might just find your Valentine’s Day gets a little more physical than you expected. Mind out of the gutter, people! I’m talking about a romantic evening skating at the ice rink, or an adventurous afternoon at the toboggan hill. Hockey players are tough and fit, so be prepared for him to surprise you with a date that leaves you a little breathless.

They take good care of the people they love: Hockey is a team sport, and the players are used to protecting one another. They may be tough on the ice, but once the skates come off, they can be absolute sweethearts. And when it comes to Valentine’s Day, what could be better than a guy willing to do whatever it takes to win your heart?

So if you happen to think chocolates and roses are over-rated, consider making Nick Salinger your Valentine’s date instead. You won’t be disappointed!

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